Curse of the Zodiac
by Etsuke Hansamora
Summary: With Yuki and Toru together, Kyo is left as a bit of a third wheel. He and Toru remain friends, he and Yuki still fight often, and he and people don't really mix. But Kyo has a crush on a second year girl, Rintori Nakunishi. She's very different from Toru, and Kyo is under the impression that she is like him, from what he's heard around school. But even he will find many surprises.
1. An Invitation

**Author's Note**

I am basing this story purely off the anime, so I'm sorry if you like Kyo and Toru together, but I have paired her with Yuki. Things may change based on how my readers react to this story, but I'm hoping you can come to enjoy my telling of it. I have paired Kyo with a very strange OC, and I plan on making him have some challenges to face to get close to her. He will often go to Toru or Shigure for advice on how to deal with his emotions and curious crush on the OC. His relationship with Yuki will also hopefully get better. But we shall see. It's all up to you readers. Let me know what you want to see.

* * *

I was about to head to class when I saw Rintori Nakunishi in the mudroom at her locker. I don't know why I looked over at her. Probably because I heard her sniffle. I glanced over, and saw that she was crying. Her hands hid her face, but I knew she cried. It was strange. Rin was one of the tough girls around school. I mean, you would almost believe she was a Soma, the way she behaved.

For one thing, Rintori had shockingly blue hair. She claimed she hadn't dyed it, either, although I've never gotten close enough to her to look at the roots of her hair and see if she was telling the truth. She's also got it cut so short as to appear to be a boy from behind, although everyone knows who she is. Her eyes are practically silver, and the shape of the irises are so unusual, you'd almost think she wasn't human. I mean, her irises were shaped like crescent moons, and you couldn't see any signs of a pupil in her eye, although she wasn't blind. Then there was the way she dressed. She absolutely refused to wear the girl school uniform. Instead, she chose to wear black cargo pants and a black long sleeved shirt with the shoulders cut out. On her feet, she never wore the traditional shoes, either. She was always sneaking around in a pair of black and purple creepers.

Rintori was a new student here this year. It was my third year in high school, and only her second. Still, she was in advanced classes, so we had a few together. I'd seen some of the teachers and student council members get after her for her appearance, and all she ever does is glare at them. So, naturally, when I saw her crying, I knew something major must be up. I mean, what could possibly make a girl like her cry?

"Rintori? Rintori Nakunishi?"

I heard another sniffle, and watched as she wiped angrily at her tears before turning around to face me. "What do you want? You're Kyo Soma, aren't you? A lot of the girls talk about you all the time. You and your cousin, Yuki. So what could you possibly want with me?"

I was taken aback a first, but I quickly regained my cool. "Nothing, I just thought I'd ask if you're okay. You're over here crying by yourself. I mean, where are your friends, anyways?"

"I don't have any friends. And you need not be bothered with me. You don't even know me."

"Well, if you don't have any friends, who else is going to check on you?"

"Nobody. That's the point. Now leave me be."

"Why?"

"Because I don't feel like being made fun of for who I am again today. I'm already upset as it is."

"Why are you crying, Rintori?"

"It's none of your business, so shut up and leave me alone!" Her head snapped up from the floor as she said this, and I could see the puffy red circles around her eyes before she shoved me back into a wall.

When she saw my look, my notice of her expression, she turned her back to me and started to walk away. So, granted, what I did next was stupid. But I do a lot of stupid stuff, so it should hardly have been a surprise. I ran after Rintori, grabbed her wrist, and pulled her to me in a hug. Not a moment later, there was a poof of smoke, and then...I was a cat. Again.

"What was that for, you idiot?" Rintori turned around, looking for me. I mewed to get her attention, and she looked down. "Hey, little guy. I don't suppose you know where that annoying idiot went? He just hugged me without asking. Can you believe that? And he doesn't even know me. Why would he go and do something like that?"

Okay, I admit it. I've had a bit of a crush on Rintori for a while. I hadn't told her or anyone else that, though. I mean, at one time, I thought I had feelings for Toru. But...well...Toru isn't really my kind of girl. Neither is that damn girl, Kagura. Besides, Toru is with Yuki now, and that's okay. We're better off as friends. But, well, with Rintori, I'm hoping she can come to understand me, and accept me as I am, as Toru has done. But this is the first chance I've had to even attempt to get to know her.

"Wait a second...why are you in a pile of clothes? And why do these look like Kyo's clothes?"

Rintori knelt down next to me, and I started trying to scamper out of my clothes so I could run, but she untangled me herself and picked me up. I didn't know what to do. "You're kinda cute, little guy. Yup. You don't have a collar, but that doesn't mean you're a stray, does it? You could be anyone's cat. But you really are adorable."

Great. She's a cat lover, and she absolutely loves my zodiac form. That doesn't help me get around the fact that we're at school, and as soon as I change back, I'm going to be naked. But I can't tell her about the Soma curse. She didn't see me transform, so we're safe for now. But why did I have to be an idiot and hug her? I hissed in my frustration, and Rintori was startled, dropping me. There was another poof, and I ducked behind a row of lockers.

"Hey, kitty. Where did you go?"

The bell tolled, and Rintori glanced at one of the speakers in the ceiling. She glanced around once, then hurried from the mudroom. I leapt for my clothes and put them on in a rush. Then I ran after Rintori.

"Hey! Rintori!" She glanced back, and paused, seeing me. Then her gaze turned to a glare.

"Tell me something, Kyo. Why did you hug me? What gives you the right? You don't know me, or my pain. So why would you do that?"

"Because I've been told that's a way to comfort people. I may not know your pain, but when a girl is alone and crying, isn't it someone's job to try to comfort her, even if they don't know her?"

"I wouldn't know. No one has tried to comfort me before. Well, anyways, don't so it again. It wasn't needed. The cat was more help than you."

"And what if I'd been the cat?"

Rintori's face was puzzled for a moment, and then she laughed. "You're weird, Kyo. Who would ever think that they could be a cat? Well, I'll say this. If you had been that cat, I would thank you. That cat made my day a lot better."

I considered carefully before speaking again. "Tell me, Rintori. Do you...know the tale of the zodiac?"

"Well of course I do. I mean, I guess this isn't something most people know about me, but I like to read a lot. I write poems too."

"And...what do you think, about that story?"

"I was born in the year of the pig, but I've never really liked the pig. I always liked the cat and the dog."

"And why do you like those two?"

"Well, because of the meanings given to those particular animals, of course. In general, I've always liked cats and dogs, but the meanings in their zodiacs have always seemed to be a lot like me."

"That's good to know. And what do you think of the rat?"

"He's cruel and spiteful. I mean, why would he trick that poor cat like he did?"

"That's something I've always wondered myself. But I have an older cousin that lives with me...I mean, well, you seem interested in the zodiac. I don't supposed you'd like to come and talk to him? He likes the dog, too."

"Well, I don't really know where you live. And I've never been to another person's home. I really probably shouldn't, anyways. I've got...someone I have to see after school."

"That's no problem. We can go see them first, and then I can walk you back to my house. Sound like a plan?"

The terror in her eyes couldn't be matched. She shook her head fiercely, backing away. "I really can't allow that. I'm...I'm sorry."

"Can't you please skip it, whatever it is, just this once?"

"No."

"Fine. I'll wait for you at the front gate after class. When you can, meet me there. Then you can come over. Is that alright?"

"I guess that would be okay. But I can leave whenever I want. And if I don't show up at all, don't be surprised!"

"I won't be! I don't even know why I'm inviting you anyways!"

"Kyo Soma, Rintori Nakunishi. Shouldn't you both be in class?" A teacher was coming towards us.

"I would already be in class is this idiot hadn't hugged me without permission."

"A hug is hardly anything to be worried about Rintori. Besides, if the touch was unwelcome, I'm sure you would have made it clear to Kyo that it wasn't. Get to class, please, before I have to write you both up."

Rintori threw a last glare at me, then slipped into the door she stood next to. I walked off to my own homeroom, shared with Toru and that damn rat.


	2. The Soma Zodiac Curse

_That was...strange._

I couldn't focus in class today. My mind kept being drawn back to my encounter with Kyo Soma that morning. Even at lunch, I forgot to make a snarky comeback at the kids making fun of the way I looked, the way I was, who I was. They seemed rather surprised, but shrugged and moved on.

After school, I could look down at the front gate from the window of my classroom. After a few moments, a boy in the black uniform with a mess of orange hair stood there, watching his surroundings, looking for someone. I watched a few moments more. Even after everyone else had gone, the boy waited.

I hurried to the back of the school, to see the other boy. The mean one that made me meet him everyday. If not, he would hurt me. He could hurt me. He was stronger. But I was working hard. I'd be stronger than him soon, and then wouldn't he be surprised when I took his place in the gang and I was ordering him around for once?

"Hey, look guys. Told you she'd come. This is my girl, Rintori."

"What is with her? Is she an alien or something? She almost doesn't even look like a girl!"

"What do you want, Soru?"

"Just introducing you to some of the guys. Why? Is there a problem with that, babe?"

"Don't call me babe as is you even have the mildest of feelings. I am not your girl, and we will never be together. I despise you. You treat me like shit, and I don't want anything to do with you. Guys like you, they only irritate me. So why don't you just send your buddies home and tell me what you really want?"

One of the guys whistled. The other laughed. "You sure picked a weird one. Feisty, too. Bet that makes things a little kinky."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean? Just because I'm not the kind of girl you prefer, that automatically means that I'm only good for sex? That I have no standards? That I couldn't possibly have a meaningful relationship?"

The guys backed up a step or two, before they laughed again. "What kind of mess did you get yourself into, Soru? What kind of girlfriend is she?"

"Well, I will say...she is definitely a little kinky…"

The other two grinned, taking the implication of Soru's words and believing that he was telling the truth. They got real smug and walked over to me. "So, Soru. Would you mind if I took her for a test?" the one that had whistled earlier asked.

I stopped thinking. I punched him in the eye, back kicking the other in the gut. I broke the first's nose, and kicked the other a second time, this in the groin. Then I grabbed them each by a leg and threatened to break their legs until they begged. They lay crying on the concrete, begging for me to stop. Begging me to have mercy. Begging me to forgive their stupidity. I picked each one up by the leg I held and threw them over the fence. When they landed on the other side, one had a busted arm. The other a rather severe looking cut on his forehead. But neither paid attention to their injuries as they scrambled over each other to get away, as far away from me as they could.

"You keep getting better. You've been practicing, haven't you? That's my girl. But you'll never move any higher in the gang. You'll never be able to best me. Thanks for taking care of them, though. I wanted to show them what one of our weaker members could do, just so they would know what would happen if they fought a stronger member."

I stayed silent, breathing heavily and glaring at where I had thrown the two boys into the dirt.

Soru was unimpressed by my quiet, and grabbed me by the chin, forcing me to look at him. "What do you think you're going to do? Why train, when you'll never beat me? You're too weak."

I laughed. "And when I do beat you, I'll remember all the times you've told me I never will, and I will laugh all the more for it. Now let go of me, and stay away from me. One day, I'll be the one using you as my errand boy.

I turned to leave, but Soru grabbed my wrist. "And where is my goodbye kiss?"

"You know better than anyone that there isn't even such thing as a goodbye hug between us. Get lost. You've had your time with me for today."

"Oh, no. I'm not done with you. I still need another fifteen minutes or so."

"What's that supposed to mean?" I yanked my hand away from him, but he grabbed me by the shoulders instead.

I kept trying to get away, until he had backed me to a wall. "Let go of me, you asshole!"

"Not yet. I'm going to see if you really are so strange. I'm putting you to the test. I don't like kinky, I like painful. So hopefully this will be pleasant."

I fought him as he reached for the bottom of my shirt. He had my knees pinned with his own against the wall, or I would have kicked him. My arms were held over my head in one of his hands. Perhaps…

I strained both arms against his grip, and his hand opened. I tried to slip to the side and get away, but he put his arm in the way, trapping me.

"I think she said let go of her, asshole!"

Suddenly there was a blur of motion, and orange and brown mixed as they rolled on the ground. When they stopped, an orange-haired guy was pounding Soru in the face. I saw when Soru went unconscious, but the orange-haired boy showed no sign of stopping. I ran up to him and pulled at his shirt. When he raised a fist, it hit me instead, and I fell back. My cheek stung a little, but I jumped up and tackled the boy off Soru instead.

"He's unconscious. You've won! Stop it!"

There was a split second when I saw Kyo under me in my tackle, and then there was a poof of smoke and I was sitting on top of his clothes holding an orange cat. I stared, not believing my eyes for a moment. "K-Kyo? Kyo Soma? I don't understand...I mean, I tackled you off Soru, and now...you're a cat."

"Yeah, I'm a cat," he grumbled. "Just grab my clothes and let's go. Make sure you don't stop hugging me."

"Why?"

"Because if you do, I'm going to transform back."

"But wouldn't that be a good thing?"

"Sure, except I'll be naked."

"Oh." I stuffed Kyo's clothes in my bag with the rest of my stuff, and picked Kyo up, hugging him over my shoulder.

"I know this is comfy for you, but it ain't for me."

"Oh, I'm sorry. Is that better?" I asked as I readjusted so that I was hugging him in one arm while he curled up in a ball in my other.

"Um...yes, actually. Thank you."

I walked out the front gate, following Kyo's quiet directions. He normally had such a temper, but now he seemed very mellow.

"You seem to be taking this rather well."

"What? That you transformed into a cat? Well, you kind of hinted at it earlier, when you asked if I liked the cat from the story, so it wasn't quite as bad of a shock."

"Oh, right…"

"And the rat...he tricked the cat, and they never got along again. Yuki isn't a rat, is he?"

Kyo's eyes widened, and he avoided my gaze for a moment before looking at me again. "Yeah, he is. He gets on my nerves a lot."

"Mine too. Which makes sense, because I never did care for the rat in the story, or the personality associated with it. And, this older cousin...you said he likes dogs. He wouldn't happen to be a dog, would he?"

"Right again."

"So, here's what I don't get. Why do you turn into animals?"

"A curse."

"Curse?"

"There is a curse on my family, the Soma family. When we are hugged by a normal person of the opposite sex, or when our bodies are under a lot of stress, we transform into our zodiac animal. But there are only thirteen zodiac members, as there are twelve zodiac animals and the cat. The majority of the rest of our family doesn't know about the curse, and those that do fear that one day, it might be their grandchildren that are given the curse."

"Is there a way to end such a thing? I mean, how did it start?"

"No one knows. At least, no one alive. Those that did know probably forgot, or just didn't tell anybody. Jerks."

"Okay, but you didn't answer my other question. Is there a way to break the curse?"

"If there is, I don't know it. You'd be better off asking Shigure, my older cousin."

"The dog. Right…"

After a few more steps of silence, I asked, "So how do Toru and Yuki have a relationship? I mean, this is obviously not anything just anybody knows. It's a family secret for a reason. So, I imagine Toru would know. But how does that affect their relationship?"

"I wouldn't know. I...uh...I've never…" Kyo looked away again. "Damn it…"

"What is it? What did you want to say?"

"I've never had a girlfriend, alright?" he shouted.

He squirmed in my arms, but didn't try to jump away. It was quiet for a while again, and Kyo told me to turn down a dirt road.

"Guess I seem pretty lame to you now. First, I can't even have decent conversation with you this morning. Then I turn into a cat before your eyes when you tackle me to stop a fight. And now you've learned that I've never even had a girlfriend."

"I don't know, Kyo. I think it's kind of...cute." I smiled, a real genuine smile. I realized it had been a really long time since I last smiled.

"I think that's the first time I've seen you smile," Kyo commented, echoing my thoughts.

"Yeah? Well, what would you know? I just moved here."

"That was a couple months ago. But in all this time, I don't think I've actually seen you smile."

"Please. You didn't even know I had no friends. How would you know whether or not I smile?"

"I watch you in class. People don't talk to you much, but even when they do, there is no smile on your face. I just assumed you had friends in your grade you were close with, and that's why you didn't really care about making friend with the third years."

"No. I don't have any friends. And I don't smile for several reasons."

"Okay, look, I don't want to hear your life story. I was just commenting on the fact that you smiled, alright?"

"Sure, whatever."

Kyo sighed. "You shouldn't be so 'whatever' about it. I...I was commenting on your smile because you have a really pretty smile. And I didn't mean that, about your life. I mean...I'll listen, if you want to talk."

"But I don't want to talk about my past. That's why I didn't mind you saying you didn't want to listen."

"Is your past really so terrible?"

"Probably not as bad as yours. I mean, I can't imagine growing up fearing that I'll transform into a cat if a guy hugged me. But...well, it's probably a lot worse than a lot of kids around here have it."

"And you're okay with that?"

"If I were okay with it, I probably wouldn't be the way I am. I'm not saying my life is awful or anything. I'm glad I'm able to go to school, and that I could talk to people, if I wanted to, and that I have an okay job and a place to stay. But...well, when school is a lonely place filled with jerks and annoyances, and that okay job is...unmentionable, and that place to stay is at your tormentor's house...well, life can't be too great, either."

"Tormentor's house? What does that mean?"

"Um, well, that guy you were beating up? His name is Soru Herraity. He's actually a really nice guy, when he isn't drunk. But, well, ever since he was fourteen, he's been drunk or hungover almost twenty-four seven. No one has been able to get him to stop."

"Okay? What does he have to do with it?"

"Well, he's a third year, like you. He's seventeen. And, he has his own house. I had no where else to go, so when he offered me a place to stay...I accepted."

"You're living with that asshole? He was about to rape you!"

"I don't have any other choice. I have no where else to go."

"What do you mean? Go back to your parents, you idiot!"

"I have no parents to go back to."

Kyo froze in my arms. "Wh-...what happened to them?"

"They were both in the military. My father died months after I was born. My mother died when I was six. I was quite a sight. A sobbing mess accepting my mother's honor medals and shroud. I was sent to stay with my grandparents for a while, but they moved out of the country when I was eight. Then I was sent to my other grandparents, but they aren't in the best of health. So, when I was eleven, I ran away. No aunts or uncles wanted to take me in. I know, because my grandmother had already called all of them before I left. For a couple of years I lived in a box in an alley, eating scraps. My whole life was hell then, but I still managed to go to school. Then I met Soru. He found me one night, sobbing in my my box, screaming about my horrible parents, who couldn't keep themselves alive so that I wouldn't be alone. So that I could be a normal kid, and grow up without having to worry about food or money or my home. I hated my parents, because they had left me to fend for myself. But then Soru came. He told me that I shouldn't be angry with my parents. I should be proud of them. They died doing what they thought was right. And when Soru said that, it was kind of amazing. He was about to go when it started to rain. He stood there, watching me as I tilted the box on its side so the inside would be sort of dry and I could lay in it. He asked me why I was staying in the box, why I didn't go home. So I told him why I was in the box. And he went away for a few minutes. He came back with an umbrella, picked up my few belongings in the box and put them in a backpack, slung the bag over his shoulder, and pulled me against him under the umbrella, to protect me from the wind and rain. He took me home with him. His parents wouldn't let me stay there, so Soru asked if I could stay in the shed, if not in the garage. His parents laughed. They hadn't used the shed in years because it was in such poor condition. But Soru just asked again, and they said sure, why not. So Soru put my box on the porch for the night, so I'd be dry and a little warm. The next day when we got back from school, we worked on fixing the shed up. It took us three weeks to get that shed fixed, but we did it. No more holes, bugs, snakes, or anything. I had my own key and a little space to call home. When it became clear I wasn't going anywhere, Soru's parents started letting me at meals with them, and allowing me in the house during the day. At night, I still stayed in the shed. Last year, Soru finally got sick of his parents' cruelty to me on one of his sober days, so he rented an apartment and moved the two of us there. I don't know how he keeps his job or earns most of the money for rent, but he does. I pay for food and what few bills we get."

Kyo stared at me. I had stopped walking to tell him all of that. His silence kind of scared me. But then he crawled up and put his arms over my shoulder again, hugging me in return. "Sorry I lied to you earlier about this being uncomfortable. But this is the equivalent of me hugging you in this form, so it was emotionally uncomfortable, not physically."

I squeezed him lightly, and he purred, rubbing his head against me.

"So, where is your house?"

"Not much further. In fact, if you look up ahead, you'll probably see a little turn off. That leads down to the house."

I followed his directions, surprised when I saw the cozy looking place Kyo called home. The whole time, I occasionally gave Kyo the opportunity to stop hugging me, but he never did. He seemed content as he was. When I stepped onto the porch, Kyo still wouldn't let go.

"Why won't you stop hugging me?"

"Because if no one else is going to hug you, I'm going to. I doubt you've ever had many hugs."

"Well, no...not really."

"And you deserve better than that, after going through hell just to survive."

"Kyo? Is that your voice I hear?"

The door slid open in front of me, and guy that looked to be about twenty-five stepped out. When he saw me, he froze, looking utterly confused. Then he noticed Kyo, transformed into a cat, purring in my arms.

"Oh dear…Kyo, what kind of mess have you gotten yourself into, now?"

"What did Kyo do?" another male voice asked. Another door opened, and Yuki peeked out. "Oh…"

"Why is everyone standing at the door?" a girl's voice asked.

Shigure stood aside, and Toru was looking out at me. "Oh, Kyo!"

"Um…" I backed away a step, now very nervous to be anywhere near them. Kyo rubbed his head against my neck, a comfort.

"Everything will be alright. We just have to tell them what happened."

"Um…" I could feel my cheeks heat up with a blush. "I don't suppose I could take him to a bathroom and leave his clothes in there so he could change back, could I?"

Yuki face palmed. "Stupid cat. Sorry for the trouble, Miss Nakunishi. Please, follow me."

Yuki led me to a bathroom, and I left Kyo's clothes on the counter. He let go of me rather reluctantly before hiding in the bathroom. I stood against the wall by the door, unnerved at the thought of going anywhere in this house without him. It wasn't long before I heard a poof, signaling Kyo's transformation. When the door opened, Kyo seemed surprised to find me waiting.

"What're you doing?"

"Um, well, I don't really know Yuki or your cousin or Toru…"

"Well, come on and meet them, then. I'm sure you'll like Toru and Shigure, even if you don't like Yuki."

I followed Kyo into a comfy room with a table, cushions, and a TV. Yuki, Shigure, and Toru were all seated around. There were two cushions beside each other left open. Kyo plopped down on the one by Shigure, and I tentatively sat between him and Toru.

"So, what all has Kyo told you?" Toru asked.

"Secrets I'll take to the grave," I said defensively. If Toru somehow didn't know about the Soma's zodiac curse, she wouldn't hear it from my lips.

Kyo laughed beside me. "She already knows the secret, Rintori. No need to be so serious."

"Oh, right. You're the transfer second year student, Rintori Nakunishi, aren't you?" Toru asked.

"Um, yes, that's me."

"I've heard several rumors that you're quite the dangerous little rebel," Yuki commented. "Is that true?"

"Who are you to judge, you damn rat!" Kyo yelled.

I poked his knee, and he started, meeting my eyes and then looking away, embarrassed by his outburst at Yuki.

"If you're referring to the one regarding whether I'm the leader of a gang or not, then that is partially true. I am a part of a gang, but I am not the leader. I'm a third tier right now, and that's not even close to the inner circle."

Yuki and Toru stared, mouths agape at me. Shigure laughed, and appeared to be reminiscing something. Kyo gave me a serious look.

"So why don't you get stronger, so you can take care of that drunk jerk Soru?"

"I have been trying to get stronger. But when Soru isn't drunk, he talks about how happy he'll be to see me graduate a lot. I don't want to disappoint him, but studying takes a lot of time."

"Who is Soru?" Yuki asked.

"He's kind of like a brother to me, and I'm staying at his house."

"Is it safe?"

"Has been so far."

Kyo watched me closely as I said that. Suddenly, he grabbed my wrist and dragged me from the room for a moment.

"So it isn't safe there. What did he do?"

"Nothing major…"

"Does whatever it is happen often?"

"Oh, no, no. Only once, and Soru was absolutely horrified by what he'd done."

"What was it?"

"Well, after work one night, I went home. Soru had been drinking more than usual, and he was frustrated already from a phone call with his parents. So, when I got home, he just kind of lost it. He threw a bottle at me and hit me a couple of times. I didn't care about the hits, they didn't hurt. But the bottle shattered against the door and a lot of big pieces got stuck in my arm, one really big one in my thigh, and a couple in my cheek. The most painful ones though, was the one that scratched me from my temple to my jaw, and another that went behind me and cut my back. Those two left the most obvious scars. Soru had rushed me to the hospital in tears, horrified of what he'd done. He stayed sober for three months, endlessly apologizing and always doing things for me. Eventually, his grief became to much, and he started drinking again, trying to forget the pain he caused me."

Kyo turned my face to the left, then the right, where the scar was. He traced it with his finger from my temple to my jaw. He turned me around, finding the start of the scar on my back peeking out from over my shirt. He turned me to face him again, and looked at my hands, noticing the little white scars from the smaller pieces that got in my hand. "There's so many…"

"The bottle did shatter," I reminded him.

"Who does he think he is, treating you like he did today?"

I shrugged, uncomfortable under the scrutiny.

"What are you guys talking about out here?" Yuki asked, coming out into the hall with us.

"More reasons I'm glad I kicked Soru's ass, and plan to do it again!"

"Oh, no, Kyo! Please, don't do that!"

"Why not? He deserves it!"

"I know he hurt me, but, well...he's all I have."

Yuki looked between us, entirely confused.

"What do you want, you damn rat? Leave us alone!"

Yuki opened his mouth to respond, but Kyo raised his fist.

I didn't think as I tackled him and Yuki both. I just didn't want them to fight.

There were two poof sounds, and then I was falling, my shadow covering a rat and a cat. I closed my eyes, praying they weren't crushed. Then a force rammed into me, sending me the opposite way, and I landed on my back holding a dog.

Toru stood in the doorway, looking at the mess of clothes and the three animals all looking at me.

"Shigure, you're kind of a big dog, and you're really heavy. Could you get off, please?"

Shigure stepped off of me carefully, so as not to use me for a spring board. He looked at me with his head tilted to the side, as if considering me. Then his tail started wagging.

"Why are you so happy?" I asked.

"No particular reason. I just think that our family has been blessed with another person we can trust and get close to without fear."

"Why would you be scared of me?"

"Well, despite your appearances, it's so much that we are scared of you, but of getting close to you. If Akito decides...nevermind. I'll spare you the horror."

"She needs to know. She doesn't need to deal with more stuff. She's already had it rough. So just tell her straight up. You don't have to tiptoe around her like you do Toru," Kyo spat.

I didn't know what I'd done to make him angry, but it made me a bit upset.

"Alright. Well, you see...Miss Nakunishi, was it?"

I nodded, and he continued.

"Well, you see, most people that find out about our family's curse...well, they have to have their memories wiped."

My past rushed through me, up to this moment. There were very few memories I had that I never wanted to forget. A memory wipe didn't seem to bad.

"So, I would forget everything about myself?"

"No. You would just forget anything you knew about our curse, any discussions you've had with us about the zodiac, those days would be wiped from your mind."

"So, it would be like today never happened."

"Correct. Our dear Toru here was fortunate in that Akito decided to let her keep her memories. I'm not sure how lucky you will be, but I am required to alert him that you have learned of us."

"Why?"

"He is the head of the family. He is in charge of matters like this."

"If I don't tell anyone, why does he have to know? You can trust me. I don't spill others' secrets. Nobody could torture it out of me."

"I have no doubt you're telling the truth. But I'm afraid the decision lies with Akito. It is the way things are done."

Yuki was strangely quiet. Kyo couldn't meet my gaze.

"Kyo?"

"What?" he asked angrily.

"Are you mad at me? Did I do something wrong? Or are you just upset that I learned your secret?"

"No. It's nothing like that. I just...I'm sorry for getting you mixed up in all of this. You've already had a lot to deal with, and dealing with us? Well, it isn't easy."

"My life has never been easy, so why would this be any different?"

There was a poof noise, and Kyo, still in cat form, jumped to me. Instinctively, I caught him in an embrace, closing my eyes and burying my face in his fur. There was another poof shortly after, and the sounds of Yuki and Shigure dressing.

"Alright, you won't see anything you don't want to see now," Shigure said quietly.

I lifted my head and opened my eyes, seeing Shigure and Yuki back to their usual selves standing in front of me. I still held Kyo gently to my body. When he looked up at me, all I could see was regret.

"Are you sorry you met me?" I whispered, bracing myself.

"No. I'm glad you came here, and I'm glad I got my first chance to talk to you today. I'm glad to have finally gotten to truly meet you. I'm just sorry for dragging you into all of this, knowing it might be all pointless and you'll probably forget."

"I don't think I would want to forget today. Even though it's only been one day, I'm glad I can call you a friend. I don't suppose I'm your friend?"

"One of three. Only three. And all three are in this house."

"Excluding me in that three, of course. We will never be friends," Yuki said coldly. He went back into the sitting room, flipping on some cartoons. Toru gave me a friendly smile before following him, sitting beside him. They whispered quietly together, and I wasn't sure, but I thought they were holding hands.

"I'm glad I can be one of those three, Kyo, and I wouldn't want to forget that," I said, squeezing him lightly.

"Yeah. Now, can we cut the mush? As much as I want to hug you for all the times you've missed out on hugs, I also like being human."

"Sure. Do you want to dress in the bathroom again?"

"That would be best."

"Alright." I gathered up his clothes and took him to the bathroom again. He rubbed his head against my neck again before letting me put him down and closing the door.

When he stepped out, he seemed vaguely annoyed.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing. I just don't like this dumb uniform much, and I've been wearing it all day."

His words made me glance out the window, and I saw the sun was almost down. Twilight was settling. My favorite time. But I also needed to get home.

"Uh, okay. Well, you can go change in your room, wherever that is. I have to go. I don't know if I can find my way back as is, and I need to get home…"

"To that jerk, Soru?"

"Well, yes…"

Kyo glared at the wall for a moment. "Come on. I'll walk you home. And tomorrow, we'll go to your place after school. I'm gonna scope out the scene, see if you're really safe there. Maybe talk some sense into him."

When I didn't respond, Kyo grabbed my wrist and yanked me after him, outside, and up the path. The trip seemed much shorter leaving than coming. Probably because Kyo and I didn't speak. But the silence wasn't awkward. It was rather comfortable.

At the corner of my block, just a few feet my from my house, Kyo waved goodbye, and then he was gone in the night.

I stepped inside, hearing Soru's snores. I covered him in a blanket. I thought long and hard before the next thing I did. But still, as risky as it was, I thought it was necessary. I threw all of the alcohol in the house out. Even the secret stashes Soru thought I didn't know about. All of it, gone. Then I went upstairs to my room, and went to bed.


	3. Panic on the Roof

It was dinner time when I got back to the house. My plate sat unattended, while the others were already halfway through their meals. I sat quietly, ate quickly, and left silently. I went up on the roof again. I needed time to think.

A sudden thought occurred to me.

_What the hell is wrong with me? That guy tried to rape her earlier. He's a drunken asshole, and almost killed her once. And I just took her back home to him, left her alone, and didn't blink once!_

I jumped to my feet, raced down into the house, and was almost out the dorr before I ran smack into Yuki.

"Where are you off to in such a rush?"

"It doesn't matter. Just get another of the empty rooms ready as a bedroom, would ya?"

I tried to dodge around him, but he reached out and shoved me back onto the floor at his feet.

"Move, you damn rat! I have more important things to do than bicker with you!"

"What is so important?"

"I'm an idiot, that's what! Now move!"

I jumped up, and this time, Yuki sidestepped and let me pass. I sprinted back the way I'd come just a half hour before. When I got to her block, I looked at the nearest little house. It looked like a place two people like them would live. I ran to the door and knocked frantically. There was no sound, and trust me, I was straining to hear anything. I knocked again. When there was still no answer, I knocked one more time.

The door opened, and a tired looking Rintori was standing there in front of me. When she saw me there, panting on her porch, her eyes widened, and she pushed the door open the rest of the way, inviting me in. I was about to step inside, but then she paused and turned back to me. She put a finger to her lips, telling me to be quiet. I nodded, agreeing to just about anything, so long as it meant I could make sure she was alright. She let me inside, closing the door softly, then tugged at my arm. I followed her upstairs, all the while hearing snoring and trying to discover the source of the sound.

"You don't have to be so nervous. That's just Soru sleeping," Rintori whispered.

She opened a door and flipped on the light. When I saw the black, silver, blue, and green walls, I started trying to back away. It was Rintori's bedroom. I'd never been in a girl's room before. Heck, I'd never even kissed a girl! Supposedly, Kagura and I were engaged, but that was when we were kids. It wasn't serious. I was a teenager now. Seventeen, and Rintori was sixteen…

"Don't panic. I just don't want Soru to wake up."

So I was stupid. I hugged her again, transforming me into a cat. Then I poked my head into her room again. I looked back up at her, and she sighed.

"Come on, you big baby."

She picked me up in a hug again, scooted my clothes into her room, and shut the door.

"I'm not a big baby," I muttered.

Rintori laughed gently, and sat down on her bed with me. It looked kind of like mine. A simple, regular sized bed with a black pillow instead of a white one, and a plain navy blue comforter.

"Want to see something cool?"

"What is it?"

"Close your eyes."

I did as she asked, and then felt motion beneath me. But I wasn't worried. I knew she wouldn't drop me. When the motion settled, Rintori took a couple of pleasant, even breaths.

She whispered, "Look now, Kyo. Look at it. It's beautiful."

I opened my eyes to what would have been a dark room. Except it wasn't dark. Everywhere, on the ceiling, on the walls, on what I thought was a plain comforter, neon colors glowed in the dark. On the bed it was green. On the walls, it was the blue and green. On the ceiling, silver twinkled like stars. Even the floor had a rainbow of polka dots that sent color dancing all over the room.

"You're right...It is beautiful."

"And look here, Kyo."

I followed her pointing finger to a dream catcher hung in the window. The base ring was bright orange, and the string was bright, glowing yellow.

"Did you decorate all of this yourself?"

She nodded, and looked around at the color shining everywhere again. She seemed amazed by how it looked, even though she'd done it herself. _She's kind of...childlike. No wonder she still stays here. If she thinks of Soru as a brother, then almost no matter what he does to her, she'll still see him as her brother._

"Rintori?"

"Hmm?"

"Um, well, after you left, I kept thinking about what all has happened today, and what all you've told me. I was wondering...would you like to stay at our house, at least until Soru is sober and stable?"

"Stay...at your house?"

"Yes. You'll be safe there. And I hope you will be happy, even if I'm not. But, well...maybe with you there, I could be happy. And we could hang out more, now that we're friends. You wouldn't walk home alone anymore. And you don't have to worry about money too much. We'll take care of you."

"But...I like it here."

"You're just saying that. Stop defending that guy! He's hurt you too much. Please, just...come back with me, where it's safe. We can even decorate your room the same way."

Rintori started to tear up. "It doesn't hurt when he hits me. No, it hasn't hurt in a long time. It hurts that he hits me though."

She broke down in tears, and I considered what she said, trying to find understanding.

"So, what you mean, is that the blows themselves do not cause you physical pain, but the mere fact that he does hit you causes you emotionally pain?"

She nodded miserably, and I crawled into her lap, curling up in a ball. When her tears stopped, Rintori's last words before falling asleep were a comfort to me.

"You, know, maybe it would be okay. I'd like to try staying with you and Shigure and Yuki and Toru. I want to try to be happy…" Rintori fell asleep on her side, one arm around me.

I tried to move, so I could transform back and go home, but her grip tightened a little bit. I settled down and tried to relax, wondering how long I would be stuck here. How long would her sleeping form hold on to me? After a half hour or so without any of my attempts at escape being successful, my eyes started to droop. I fell asleep curled against the girl that I was about to start protecting. I woke up in the morning as a cat. I yawned, stretched, and was now easily able to slip away from Rintori. I dropped to the floor and hid under the bed, praying she wouldn't see me until I was already myself and dressed again. When the poof of my transformation didn't wake her, I grabbed my clothes and stayed under the bed, experiencing some difficulty as I put my things on. I banged my head once and yelled.

Rintori's foot touched the floor, and she called, "Soru? Was that you, Soru?"

"God damn it!" I cursed under my breath.

"Who's in here with me? I can hear you."

"Can I have my shirt, please?"

The only thing I hadn't been able to put on yet. It's why I'd banged my head. I had accidentally left it on the floor.

"Kyo?"

"Yeah, who else? Idiot."

"You can come out from under my bed."

"Well maybe I don't wanna!"

"Do you want breakfast?"

"What is it?" I asked reluctantly, knowing I was taking her bait but also excited at the prospect of trying some of her homemade food.

"Depends on what you want. I can make a lot of different things. Soru loves it when I'm home early enough to be able to cook dinner for him. He likes breakfast, too. And I normally make his lunch."

"You do everything for this guy, and he's cruel to you in return. Why do you stay here?"

"I won't be staying here anymore. Remember?"

"You were serious? You'll come stay with us, where it's safe and no one will hurt you or bother you too much?"

"Duh. And you call me an idiot."

"Well...I don't suppose I could have shrimp for breakfast?"

"With eggs and miso soup?"

"Sure...you don't need to go to all that trouble, though."

"It's no trouble. And what do you want for lunch?"

"Um..."

"Don't worry, I'll think of something for you. I'll bet you like a lot of seafood, like a cat."

"Yeah…"

"Okay. I'll call when it's time for you to come down to eat." She smiled brightly, the second real smile I'd ever seen her have, before she turned and ran downstairs. It wasn't long before I heard the sounds of her cooking down there.

I crawled out from under the bed and put my shirt on. It was surprisingly clean under her bed, and no where near as dusty as I thought it would be. Still, I did have to dust myself off a little. I snuck out of her room as quietly as I could, hoping she couldn't hear me over the banging around on the kitchen. But the ceiling must have creaked or something, because she called up, "I hope you aren't planning on beating Soru up again. I threw away all of the alcohol, so he won't be drinking anymore for a while. Maybe he'll stop completely."

I glared at the only other two doors on this floor, knowing one probably belonged to that jerk. But I held myself to her wishes and went downstairs instead. I found Rintori stirring the miso soup, the last thing being made. Eggs steamed on my plate next to warmed shrimp, with a cup of hot tea. Rintori hummed to herself. I couldn't tell if she knew I was there or not.

"What are you humming?"

She didn't seem the least bit startled. "The sunshine song. Haven't you heard it?"

"No. It sounds really dumb." I sat at the table, at the only seat that faced Rintori while she cooked.

"Well, what if I sang it for you?"

"I guess, if you want."

Rintori started humming again before she started to sing. "_You are my sunshine, my only sunshine. You make me happy when skies are grey. You'll never know dear, how much I love you. Please don't take my sunshine away. The other night dear, when I lay sleeping, I dreamt I held you in my arms. When I awoke dear, I was mistaken, so I hung my head and cried. You are my sunshine, my only sunshine. You make me happy when skies are grey. You'll never know dear, how much I love you. Please don't take my sunshine away. You are my sunshine, my only sunshine. You make me happy when skies are grey. You'll never know dear, how much I love you. Please don't take my sunshine away._" Her voice was small and childlike, and she even tilted her head in time with the tune, another smile on her face.

She set a bowl of hot soup at each of the three set places, then took off her apron and ran upstairs. I heard some muffled talking, and then she was downstairs again, sipping her tea and gobbling up her eggs. She darted upstairs again, and this time, she came back dragging a beaten up looking Soru with her. He sat across from me, Rintori between us and facing the window. Her gaze focused outside, she seemed to be having a daydream. That far-away look was kind of...cute.

"Hey, who is he?" Soru asked, groaning with a hangover.

"A friend of mine."

"Why is he here? How'd he even get here?"

"I invited him for breakfast. We had something to talk about."

"Yeah? Like what?"

"I'm moving."

The tension in the air was almost tangible, and the dead silence made me nervous.

"Moving? Why are you moving? How are you moving?"

"Like any other person moves. I'm taking my things and going."

"Why?" Soru actually sounded hurt.

"Because she doesn't deserve the way you treat her. Spending extra money you don't have on alcohol. Getting angry with her, when all she's ever done is care for you. Hurting her because you had a bad day. Making her part of your gang. Making her be your errand girl. She sees you as a brother. I'll bet you didn't know that, but she does. Treating her like this...it isn't what a brother would do, and she deserves better."

"Oh, yeah, and I suppose you just know all the details, huh?" Soru asked, standing up aggressively.

"I know what she's told me."

"And I'll bet it's you she's moving in with. Is that right?"

"Who cares where she moves? She's leaving to be some place better for her. There's nothing you can do to stop that."

"You're choosing to go live with some guy you don't know instead of me? I've taken care of you since you were thirteen! You would have died! What has he done for you?"

"He saved me too. Yesterday."

"Oh, come on. You know I was just doing that in case some of the others were hanging around. Then this guy came along and started a fight for no reason."

"I'm leaving, Soru. I'm taking some of the basic things I need with me to school, and I'll be going to my new place tonight."

"Tell me where it is."

"No."

"Why not?"

"I'm not telling you anything until you can prove to me that you've been sober for three months, and are going to stay that way."

"What the hell ever. Just tell me where it is. If you really want to go, you can."

"Thanks. But I don't need your permission." Rintori picked up her tea and carried it with her upstairs.

When she came back down, she was in her school uniform, with a duffle bag and her school things in hand. I had finished eating, and Soru was eating now. He wouldn't stop glaring at me, but he hadn't started another fight yet.

"Let's go, Kyo. We shouldn't be late."

Just before we stepped out, Soru gruffly called out, "Hey."

Rintori left anyways, waiting on the sidewalk.

"What?" I asked warily.

"Take care of her. You're right. She doesn't deserve having to put up with all my crap. But I'll be coming back for her in a year or so. She doesn't know it, but she's my girl. Don't get too attached."

"Isn't it her choice?" I asked easily before shutting the door, cutting off his comeback.

"What did he want?"

"Nothing much. Give me your stuff."

"Huh?"

"Just give me your stuff."

She handed me her bags with a confused expression. They were really light, and I easily carried them over one shoulder.

"Let me guess. You only keep what you need for school, and you just have spare clothes and toiletries in your duffle?"

"No, not at all. Why?"

"Cause they're really light, that's why."

"Are they really? My school bag is always a pain. It isn't heavy, but it is bulky, with my textbooks and everything."

"No problem for me."

"You're taller. And I don't normally carry my stuff over my shoulder."

"You should try it sometime. Let's go."

"Wait, what? Can I have my things back?"

"Nope. I'm gonna carry them for you. Now let's go."

I started walking, and Rintori followed along behind me, watching me for a few minutes. It was unnerving, but I kept walking. Eventually, I heard her humming that same song again, and when I looked over she was looking around at her own neighborhood, a smile on her face.

"Where did you learnt that song?"

"Hmm?"

"That song. 'You Are My Sunshine'. Where did you learn it?"

"Oh, I learned it from my mother. She used to sing me to sleep with it, when she was home. Most of the time, I had a baby-sitter. I didn't mind, though. Those nights that my mother sang for me were my favorites. Whenever she sang it, it always seemed really special, her way of telling me she thought about me when she was away and she loved me."

"So it's pretty special to you, huh?"

"Yes. I don't think I could ever forget it."

As we kept walking, silence fell between us again. It wasn't long before Rintori's hums accompanied us again. We were almost to school before she changed her tune.

"What song is that?"

"Oh, it's called 'This Land is Your Land'. My mother used to sing it to me when we went on walks, and I would sing it with her."

I pictured that. Rintori as a little girl, wandering down the sidewalk with her mother, singing a little song. It was nice to imagine.

"Okay, here's a crazy question for you. What did your parents think of your eyes and hair, if you were born with blue hair and you don't wear contacts?"

"My father never actually got to see me. I have all the letters he sent my mother from when I was conceived until he died, though. My mother told him of my oddities, but he loved me anyways, just because I was his. My mother loved me, too. When other kids picked on me at the park, she talked to them, asked them why they were mean just because I was different. Shouldn't it be cool to be different? To be so unique? And the other kids would stop mocking me, and then we would all go play together. They made sure to include me, because then they knew. I'm not so different in my heart. I just look a little different."

"I think you're special."

"In what way?"

"Well, I don't know how to explain it, really. But whenever you're humming and smiling and being an idiot...it makes me happy, listening to you hum and seeing you smile."

"I'll bet it reminds you of Toru, that's all."

"Maybe…"

We stepped into the mud room, and I changed my shoes while Rintori put the duffle bag in her locker. She held her school bag over her shoulder, and shifted around.

"Hey, you're right. It is easier to carry like this."

"Give me that," I said, irritated, but not knowing why. She gave me her bag and I walked her to class. I set it on her desk with a bang and left without so much as a goodbye. But why would I need to say bye? I'd see her around school, and after class she was moving in with me, Toru, Shigure, and that damn rat, Yuki. So I didn't say bye. There was no reason to.

But still. All through my first two hours when I didn't see her, I kept thinking about how that might've looked to her. How I just dropped her bag on her desk and left, without saying bye. Why did I have to be such an idiot? Third hour she came in, humming away, but her smile was gone. She sat in the front corner closest to the door, like usual. A sudden idea hit me.

"Rintori!"

She almost jumped, turning her face back over her shoulder to look at me with big, wide eyes.

"Come sit back here with us," I said, gesturing at where I sat with Yuki, Toru, Arisa, and Saki.

Rintori got up quietly and walked slowly back to us, holding her wrist behind her back and biting her lower lip. Apparently she was nervous.

"Hey, Orange-Top, why the sudden interest in Rintori Nakunishi?"

"I think he likes her," Yuki said cooly.

"Shut up, you damn rat!"

As usual, my way of addressing Yuki went unnoticed by Arisa and Saki. If they found it strange, they didn't comment. Rintori sat in the empty seat beside me tentatively. I sat in front of Arisa, in front of all the girls and Yuki.

"Why don't you sit with the girls?"

"Oh, well, I can, I guess, if you don't want me to sit with you…"

"I don't care. Just sit down."

She kept her seat beside me in front of Saki. She didn't seem disturbed by Saki's aura of creepiness like Yuki and I. That was about all Yuki and I ever agreed on.

"Your electric waves are strange. Not strange like Yuki's and Kyo's, but not normal, either. You're different from others."

"I wouldn't know. I don't talk to others much."

"I don't, either. But Toru and Arisa are good friends. I think you will like them."

Rintori looked back at her with those same wide eyes, this time filled with curiosity.

"Do not fear. We won't hurt you."

Rintori gave her a soft smile, one that just barely lifted the corners of her lips. I think I preferred her real smiles.

"Thank you, Kyo."

"Huh?" I asked, startled when Rintori addressed me to the point that I fell out of my chair. It made her laugh though.

"Silly. I said, 'thank you'."

"What for?"

"For inviting me to come stay with you."

"Ah, I see. So that's why you asked me to prepare a room, Kyo," Yuki said. "And it also explains where you went running off to last night and this morning."

"Yeah, whatever. Anyways, Rintori has been staying with this guy, but he's not very good to her and she has no where else to go, so I thought we could take her in."

"Is that all you thought?" Yuki asked slyly.

"Hey! If you and Toru can date and still live in the same house, I can invite a girl to stay with us too! I don't even like her!"

I just barely glanced at Rintori, then did a double take. Her little smile had fallen, and she was staring down at her desk. Her hands were in her lap, playing with the stringy ends of her sleeves.

"Uh oh, Kyo. It looks like you just made her upset."

"Why don't you try being nice for once, Orange-Top?"

I was about to yell or scream in frustration. Instead, I ran out of the room, leaving the door wide open. I doubted I'd be back today. The lunch bell tolled, and I was still up on the school's roof. I heard the door open and sat up, worried that Toru knew I was up here again and had come to try to talk to me. Well, I didn't want to talk to her.

Instead, I saw a girl with very blue hair, like lightning. She was dressed in creepers, black cargo pants and a black long-sleeved shirt without shoulders. She went to the rail that surrounded the roof and leaned on it, looking down at the city below. She didn't even seem to realize I was there.

I got up quietly, and jumped down onto the roof with a thwack of shoes on concrete.

Rintori whirled around, back to the rail, watching me with those big eyes, so different from everyone else with their silver color and crescent moon shape.

"I'm sorry if I startled you."

"You didn't really."

I stepped closer, and she edged back.

"I'm sorry if you don't like me. You didn't need to invite me to stay with you, or carry my stuff around."

"It's not that I don't like you, it's just-gah! I hate this emotional crap!"

I sat hard, my legs open, my hands fists into the concrete roof. I was almost next to Rintori at this point, and she kneeled down next to me. She reached towards me slowly. Just before she touched me, I shoved her hand away.

"Don't touch me!"

She was knocked off balance as she stood up, and fell back to the railing, and fell over it. I jumped, reaching for her hand, any way to keep her from that fall…

My grip locked around her wrist, and Rintori cried out as her arm was wrenched by the momentum. Tears streamed down her face as she looked up at me, trying to keep from looking down at the ground more than four stories below.

"Kyo…" she whispered.

"Yes?"

"I think...I think I'm slipping."

I could feel it too. I was panicking inside, trying to think of how to pull her up without losing my grip. My hands were sweaty with my nerves and frustration and my inability to speak my mind.

"Can you reach up with your other hand?"

She shook her head, her tears coming faster.

"You have to try, Rintori. Please try. I don't want to lose you."

Rintori reached up slowly, frightened, but still trying. She reached up to my arm, the only thing between her and a deadly fall. She gripped me tightly, but I didn't wince. I couldn't drop her.

"Okay, now I'm going to pull you up. Hold on tight to my hand, and don't let go, alright?"

She nodded severely.

"Okay. One, two, three!"

I pulled with all of my strength, and Rintori came up with me like a bird. Her momentum was too much in the air, and we fell back. As she landed on top of me, there was a poof, and she landed on her knees, managing to keep herself upright, holding me in her arms.

She cried, holding me to her, and just sobbing into my fur. I purred and rubbed my head at her, because that was the best way I knew to comfort her. Nothing I said could be a comfort. Except…

I crawled up to her shoulder and hugged her back.

"It's okay. You're safe now. Everything will be okay. I'll keep you safe."

The door banged open, and Yuki was there, full fury. He glared at me on Rintori's shoulder, and Rintori looked over me at him. Seeing her tears, Yuki paused in his anger, and his expression turned kind.

"What is wrong, Miss Nakunishi?"

Rintori shook her head, curling her body around me further and staying quiet.

"What did you do, Kyo? I heard screaming."

"It's alright. I caught her."

"You **caught her**? What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"I was upset, and I didn't want her to touch me, so I pushed her away. She got knocked off balance and fell over the rail, but I caught her. I'm okay. I'm not sure about her arm, but she should be okay."

"I'm fine," Rintori said softly, interrupting what Yuki was about to say.

"Well, all is well, then."

Rintori picked up my things, her bag, and carried me with her back inside. She stayed on the steps to the roof. Probably because she didn't think she'd make it down the steps for a while. Her legs were quaking just to get her that far.

"I'm sorry. For everything. I do like you," I started, but noticed her shocked look, and quickly added on, "as a friend, I mean. And I don't mind if you touch me. I just don't know how to deal with my emotions very well. I lose my temper easily, and go off on people for no reason because I don't know how to explain my feelings to them. I'm absolutely sorry for pushing you away and making you fall off the roof. I'm sorry for scaring you, and if I hurt you when I caught you, I'm sorry. But I...I would like to keep spending time with you."

I sighed, and let my chin rest on her shoulder, exhausted by trying to sift through everything I felt. Remorse was biggest on my mind, and relief. I had been terrified when Rintori went over the rail, and I was even more scared that I'd be a split second too late to save her. I was too relieved for words that she was safe, holding me in her arms.

"Please, Kyo. I'm not Toru. Getting knocked off a building is hardly the worst thing that's happened to me. There are worse things in life."

"Why were you crying, when I caught you, if you weren't scared?"

"Don't get me wrong. I was terrified. Like I told you, I was slipping. But I cried because of the look in your eyes. You were as scared as I was, and yet, you weren't the one falling. You were scared because I was falling. You were worried about what might happen to me, and...I think you're the only one who's done that since my mother died, except Soru."

"I'm sorry."

"What for?"

"Everyone has avoided you since you came here because of the rumors going around school of the kind of person you are. I pity them all for not taking the chance to get to know the real you."

"Yes, because you know the real me, Kyo."

"Maybe I don't. But I would like to. My point is, I'm sorry you've been so alone all this time. I'm sorry for everything that has happened to you."

"Do not pity me. I don't appreciate pity. I have gotten along just fine without anybody in my life. I don't need you, or Yuki, or Toru, or anybody coming on to me to try and make me feel better because you pity me. Soru never pitied me. When we met, he was angry that I would disrespect my parents like I did, whether I was living on the streets or not."

"I'm not seeking to be friends with you because I pity you. I want to be friends with you because...um…"

"Yeah, alright, Kyo. Whatever you say."

Rintori picked me up off her shoulder and dropped me on the step below her feet. She plopped my clothes next to me, then stood up and jogged down the stairs. A few seconds later, I was a human again. I put my clothes on and walked down the stairs slowly, thinking, with my hands shoved in my pockets. I glared at my feet, frustrated with myself, my inability to communicate. When I got back to the classroom, the bell rang.

Rintori sat in the farthest corner from the door, contrary to usual. She stared out the window, and her soft humming sounded throughout the room. Her feet kicked underneath her chair, like a child.

"Move, Kyo!" a guy said, shoving me into the classroom and out of the way. He took a seat at the front of the room, and a friend joined him. Their talking covered Rintori's hums, but I knew the tune in her head. I sat in the seat next to her, keeping my face turned down, and started singly slowly. Haltingly. I'd never done this before, but I was trying to apologize to her in a special way.

"_You are my sunshine, my only sunshine. You make me happy when skies are grey. You'll never know dear how much I love you. Please don't take my sunshine away._"

Rintori looked over at me, and I met her gaze. Tears pricked her eyes, and she wiped at them angrily.

"Why did you remember that song, and sing it for me now?"

"Because I was thinking about you while I was still upstairs and while I was on my way here."

"But you don't love me, so why did you sing it?"

"_You'll never know_," I replied, echoing the song.

Rintori stared out the window again, and a small smile covered her face, even though outside a mess of grey clouds were rolling in. I hoped for snow.

_You make me happy when skies are grey_… We would soon find out if she made me happy when skies were grey.


	4. Her First Night

After school, I met Yuki and Toru outside by the gate. Rintori was nowhere in sight.

"Any sign of her?"

"No. We thought you would be with her. I mean, you're the one who invited her to stay with us and all. You've taken quite the interest in her," Yuki said coyly.

"Shut up! I was just asking if you knew where she was!"

"You know better than to get into tangles with humans."

"Yeah? Look who's talking!"

"Toru and I are different!"

"Yeah? I'd love to know how!"

"I am not held to a previous engagement," Yuki said coldly.

Those words were like a punch to my gut. I heard soft footsteps coming our way, and turned around. RIntori was coming down the walk slowly, struggling with her duffel bag and school bag.

I ran to her. "Oh, jeez. I'm sorry. I forgot you had this extra stuff to carry today," I muttered to her as I took her things from her.

"It's alright. I'm used to doing things on my own. You really don't need to carry my things for me," she replied softly, relinquishing her hold on her bags, knowing better than to protest.

Even with the tension between Yuki and I making it difficult to think, I could tell there was still some tension between Rintori and I from the stairway earlier.

"So, you'll be staying with us now, right Rintori?" Toru asked kindly.

"That's right. But I have a job, so I can pay rent or whatever. I won't be a burden to you all, I swear."

"Please, don't worry. I think it'll be nice to have another girl around the house. After all, staying with three guys can cause a lot of stress sometimes. Having another girl to talk to will be nice."

"But, then again, it may cause more stress, as we will now have to be more careful than ever that we don't accidently transform around the both of you," Yuki added.

"Sorry," Rintori murmured, grabbing her wrist behind her back and slowing her pace to distance herself from Yuki and Toru.

I kept my pace even with hers, even though it bugged me to be walking so slowly. There was a rumble of thunder overhead, and Rintori reached into one of her pockets, pulling out a white object. She messed with it for a few moments, and then it sprang open into and umbrella. It wasn't just white, but had music notes and symbols on it. So she must be a music lover. Not a second after she brought it up over our heads, the rain started to fall.

Toru had another umbrella, and she and Yuki pressed close together beneath it, since it was much smaller than Rintori's. Toru's umbrella was pink and had red strawberries on it.

When our umbrella began to drip, I pressed in closer to Rintori. I hated water. Beside me, Rintori giggled, and scooted closer so that the water couldn't touch me.

"What are you laughing at?"

"You're definitely a cat, Kyo."

"Yeah. You already know I'm a cat. What's the big deal?"

"Nothing, really. But sometimes you'll do something, and I'd swear you were in your cat form, except that you're still standing in front of me."

A gust of wind blew Rintori sideways with the umbrella, and rain poured down on me. I let a vague hiss-like sound escape my throat, and took the umbrella from Rintori. She huddled next to me, having gotten hit by more of the rain than I had, to the point that she was dripping water. Her body shook. She must have been freezing. I undid the buttons of my shirt and yanked it off, draping it over her shoulders. It wasn't much, but I hoped it would help, at least a little.

"Don't you need this, Kyo?"

"No. I'm perfectly warm. I just hate water."

"Oh."

"Let's get you home quick, so you can dry off. Do you mind if I carry you?"

"No. But you're already carrying my stuff, and, can you really carry me? I mean, wouldn't you turn into a cat?"

"Shut up, and hold still."

I handed Rintori her things and the umbrella, then picked her up like a princess. She put her things in the cradle of her body, and held the umbrella up over me. We were walking down a little street with cafes and stalls along it, and then we were racing along other streets so quickly the world blurred. Sooner than possible, we were running on the dirt road to my house.

We almost made it, too. I couldn't see past Rintori very well, and I tripped on a rock. Trying to save her from the fall, I pulled her closer to me, the arm supporting her legs dropping to wrap around her waist tight. There was a poof of smoke, and we were both standing under her umbrella in the rain. I hissed vehemently at the mud under our feet. Rintori had managed to keep hold of her bags.

"Come on, you idiot. I'd rather have gotten muddy rather than see you as a poor kitty in the rain."

She picked me up around the middle, being careful that the mud on my paws only touched her skin, and not her school uniform. She picked up my muddy pants and sopping wet shoes, and carried it all the rest of the way to the porch. She dropped me inside gently, then my clothes, including the shirt I'd draped on her. Finally, she scooted her bags to just inside the door.

Rintori took one last glance at the rain, and smiled. She laughed, and closed the umbrella, leaving it next to me inside.

"What are you doing?"

"Well, just because you hate water, it doesn't mean everyone hates it. I love playing in the rain."

"No! Come inside. You're shivering with cold."

Rintori looked down at herself for visual confirmation of this, and nodded. "Okay. You're right. I'll come in. I'd hate to make you worry about me, Kyo," she said, a teasing note entering her voice as she stuck her tongue out at me.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means I think Yuki might be on to something."

"Huh?" I stared at her, completely confused, but she just laughed and pantomimed zipping her lips closed. "Wait, what do you mean? What might Yuki be right about?"

Rintori came inside, picked up my clothes, picked up me, and carried me upstairs.

"Which one is your room?"

"That one, the one on the right of the stairs," I told her, my voice betraying my annoyance.

"I don't care how mad you get. I'm not going to tell you until you figure it out yourself. Especially if I'm wrong."

She dropped me into my room, and left my clothes just inside, out of the door's way.

"Wait, where are you-"

The door closed behind her. I had to wait a few minutes this time before I transformed back into a human. I stuck my mud covered uniform in the laundry basket, and got some fresh clothes out of my dresser. It was much more comfortable than those dumb uniforms. No wonder Rintori refused to follow the dress code.

I heard the door downstairs open, and Toru calling out the she and Yuki were home. Shigure asked about dinner. I stepped out of my room to go find Rintori, and found that she was sitting with her arms resting on her knees next to my door.

"You were waiting for me?"

"Well, yeah… It's not like I call this place home yet. It's still your house."

"Has anyone even come looking around for you, or tried to show you your room?"

She shook her head and stared at the floor. "I think you might be the only person here who likes me, Kyo. Then again, I guess you don't even like me. Why did you bring me here?"

"Because I do like you. Look, what I said earlier was wrong. I was getting frustrated with Yuki talking crap on me again, and I took it out on you. I'm sorry. I didn't mean what I said."

Rintori nodded, staying quiet. I ruffled her hair, and she looked up at me, surprised, a wide smile spreading over her face.

Damn, that was a cute smile.

"Want me to get Yuki to take you to your room?"

"I'd rather if you showed me."

"I didn't get it cleaned up, so I don't know which room it is."

"Oh, that's okay. Yuki can show me, then."

"I'll come too...so I'll know where it is. If you ever want to talk, you know? All you've gotta do is yell for me."

She gave me that cute smile again before I called out for Yuki.

"What do you want?"

"Which room is going to be Rintori's?"

"The one I cleaned."

"Which one is that?"

"Down the hall on the left, first door on the right. It's right across from Toru's."

"Damn rat," I muttered under my breath, and Rintori giggled.

"Thank you, Yuki-senpai!" she called down.

"It's no trouble, but please, just call me Yuki."

I shook my head at her. "Come on, it's this way. I don't get why you try so hard with him."

"Well, it's sort of like why you fight with him so often. I want us to be friends, and to get along, since we'll be here together. You want to be rivals with him, and eventually beat him, although I have no idea why."

"Because I'm the stupid cat!" I yelled, and Rintori flinched. I calmed almost immediately, remembering that she'd come here to get away from abuse, whether it was verbal or physical. "I have to beat him. If I do, Akito will let me be like the other zodiacs. The cat won't be cast out anymore."

"Who is Akito?"

"Head of the house, like Shigure was saying yesterday. He's in charge. He's the one who will determine if your memory has to be erased, from learning our secret."

"Does it take him long to make decisions like that?"

"A few days, at least."

"Why would it take him so long?"

"He might want to meet you. I hope it doesn't come to that, but I will go with you if he requests your presence."

"Is Akito really that scary?"

I didn't answer.

"So, ready to go to your room?"

She nodded, and I held my hand out to her, the other shoved in my pocket, as if I couldn't care less. But I had a feeling she knew better.

She took my hand and I pulled her up. I didn't let go of her hand as I bent down and picked up her bags with my other hand. Then I tugged her along behind me, opening a door on the right after turning left off the main hall.

The room was plain, with bamboo floors and walls. A mattress on the floor was a bed. Other than that, the room was empty, but clear of dust.

"We'll stop by your house tomorrow and get some more of your stuff. There's a bathroom through the door on the back wall there. Go ahead and unpack what you can."

I pushed her a little further into the room, and shut behind me as I left. I went downstairs, smelling food. Rintori came down about half an hour after me, just in time for dinner, as Toru had just finished making it.

Toru was sitting across from me, Yuki beside her, and Shigure at the head of the table. Rintori took the seat between Shigure and I quietly. When Toru set food in front of her, she bowed her head politely before eating. When she was finished, she took her dishes to the kitchen. I heard the water running, although I didn't have a clue what she was doing. When the water stopped, I heard her creaking up the old stairs. Her door opened and closed, and that was it.

"Well...she's certainly not what I expected," Yuki commented quietly.

"She isn't a thug, Yuki," I said, annoyed.

"But she's in a gang."

I shrugged. Rintori hadn't gone into much detail about the gang she was in. Even I didn't know why she hung around people like that.

"I like her, personally. She's quiet and reserved in some aspects, but not afraid to stand up for herself. She's had a hard life, and I can appreciate when someone is strong enough to move on from their past and be whatever kind of person they want to be," Shigure commented.

"All I can keep thinking about is the rest of the family. Akito may not have had my memory erased, but will he do the same for Rintori, now that there have been two infractions of girls finding out about the Soma curse here?" Toru asked.

"There's no guarantee that Akito will erase her mind, or let her retain it. We will have to wait upon his decision. Until then, if I were you, Kyo, I would enjoy what time I had with her, on the chance that Akito does want to erase her memory," Shigure said, looking at me pointedly.

There was a soft sound from upstairs. I couldn't tell what it was, but then it came again.

I put down my rice and got up without a word, heading upstairs. I knew that sound. I knocked on Rintori's door softly. There was a sniffle, and then she said, "Come in," quietly.

"What's wrong, Rintori?" I asked, sliding the door open, and closing it behind me.

She turned around to look at me, but didn't answer my question.

"What's wrong?" I asked a little more forcefully.

"Nothing, really. I was just...thinking."

"What is it? You can tell me. I promise, I'll keep your secrets." I sat down beside her, half expecting her to lurch away in fear, but she didn't move.

Rintori took a deep breath, then opened her hands, which had been clutched in her lap. I picked up the now badly crumpled paper, and saw that it was a note from the government. The army, specifically. I skipped the introduction and such, and started reading.

_Ms. Nakunishi, we are sorry to inform you that both of your parents' deaths have been confirmed. Your mother's remains were found, evidently protecting several hundred people within a building. Your father covered a bomb to save his comrades from the explosion. We also regret to inform you that each of your four grandparents passed away from various accidents over the past two years. We thought it was better to give you all of such sad news at once than have an officer stopping at your door every few months with updates. We are sorry for your loss, and offer our condolences._

"Rintori...this is...this is horrible."

"I don't have anybody left. My aunts and uncles are all countries away with children of their own to look after. I'm alone."

"I'm sorry. I…"

She looked at me and shook her head. She knew there were no words for this, no way to make it any better. I took her hand in mine and sat beside her as she tried to hold back silent tears that crept down her cheeks. Eventually, Rintori climbed on top of the mattress and let her grief put her to sleep.

I checked around her room and bathroom, and saw that most of what she had brought in her duffel bag this time wasn't visible. I mean, her toiletries were in order, and her clothes were in a neat little stack, but that was all I saw. So what else had she brought? I turned off the light, and it immediately became apparent what she'd brought. Her ceiling and walls glowed, and above her bed, on an old nail that had never been taken down, was her dream catcher. I smiled to myself and closed the door.


End file.
